Cutting and dialating surgical device

ABSTRACT

A surgical device, such as may be used in performing emergency tracheotomies, including an elongate handle and an arm pivotally connected thereto intermediate its ends. The arm and handle have a pair of adjacent ends which move toward and away from each other on relative swinging of the arm and handle about their pivot connection. A first blade is secured to one of the adjacent ends and a second blade is secured to the other. The first blade has a sharpened end spaced outwardly from the handle and sharpened, opposed, diverging edges extending from the sharpened end toward the handle. The second blade is adapted to rest in face-to-face contact with the first blade when the adjacent ends of the arm and handle are moved together. The blades when in this position define an integral cutting element. The other ends of the arm and handle include portions which may be gripped by an operator and squeezed toward each other, with such urging the two blades to move apart and spreadthe edges of a cut made by the integral cutting element formed by the two blades.

United States Patent 11 1 Taylor 1451 Sept. 18,1973

[ CUTTING AND DIALATING SURGICAL DEVICE [76] Inventor: Duane F. Taylor,680 Winter St.,

Salem, Oreg. 97301 [22] Filed: Nov. 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 203,095

[52] U.S. c1 128/305, 30/233, 30/363, 128/329 [51 Int. (:1. A61b 17/34,A6lb 13/32 [58] Field of Search 128/305, 318, 20, [28/329; 30/233 X, 363X, 246, 253

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 813,877 2/1906 Frentzen128/305 85,575 1/1869 Drake 30/363 2,052,870 9/1936 Coco 128/3182,834,349 5/1958 Springer 128/305 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Comprehensive Guideto Purchasing, V. Mueller & Co., Chicago, Ill., dated 1956, Page 193Item BB 460" GR. 48-RD76-M8-1956-C2.

Primary Examiner-Aldrich F. Medbery Attorney-John W. Stuart [57]ABSTRACT A surgical device, such as may be used in performing emergencytracheotomies, including an elongate handle and an arm pivotallyconnected thereto intermediate its ends. The arm and handle have a pairof adjacent ends which move toward and away from each other on relativeswinging of the arm and handle about their pivot connection. A firstblade is secured to one of the adjacent ends and a second blade issecured to the other. The first blade has a sharpened end spacedoutwardly from the handle and sharpened, opposed, diverging edgesextending from the sharpened end toward the handle. The second blade isadapted to rest in face-to-face contact with the first blade when theadjacent ends of the arm and handle are moved together. The blades whenin this position define an integral cutting element. The other ends ofthe arm and handle include portions which may be gripped by an operatorand squeezed toward each other, with such urging the two blades to moveapart and spreadthe edges of a cut made by the integral cutting elementformed by the two blades.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CUTTING AND DIALATING SURGICAL DEVICE Thisinvention relates to a surgical device, and more particularly to suchdevice which is operable to produce a cut and then spread the edges ofthe cut.

In the performance of certain surgical procedures, it is desirable to beable quickly to produce a cut in tissue and immediately thereafter tospread the edges of the cut apart. An example of a procedure whereinsuch is desirable is in the performance of emergency tracheotomieswherein a patients life may depend on an air passage being opened intothe patients trachea in the throat region. In the performance of such anoperation, an opening must be cut through the frontal portion of thetrachea, the edges of the opening spread, and a tube passed therethroughto maintain an air passage into the trachea. Such an operation may berequired in the event of coronary attacks or other situations in which aperson s normal breathing is impeded. In such an instance the emergencyopening must be provided in the shortest time possible, since oxygendeprivation for even a very short time may cause considerable physicaldamage.

A general object of the invention therefore, is to provide a surgicaldevice which is operable quickly to produce a cut through tissue and tospread apart the edges of a cut thus produced.

More specifically an object is to provide such a surgical device whichincludes a pair of separable blades which may be placed in face-to-facecontact, and when in such position form an integral cutting element withno abrupt edges along opposite faces of the element. The device alsoincludes means connected to the blades for manually forcing the bladesapart so that when the blades are in face-to-face contact they may bepushed through tissue to produce a cut and thereafter forced away fromeach other to separate the edges of the cut.

These and other objects and advantages will become more fully apparentas the following description is read in conjunction with the drawings,wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a surgical device according to theinvention held in operative position with a pair of blades thereon inface-to-face contact;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the blades spaced apart; and

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device taken generally along the line 3-3in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings and first more specifically to FIGS. 1 and2, at is indicated generally a device constructed according to anembodiment of the invention. The device includes an elongated handle 12,having a hand grip portion 14 adjacent one of its ends and a blade 16secured to its other end. The hand grip end of the handle is referred toherein as its manipulatable end and its blade end is referred to as itsoperating end.

Describing blade 16, and referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the blade issecured to and extends outwardly at a substantial angle from handle 12.As is best seen in FIG. 2, the blade has a sharpened end, or point, 16a,and a pair of opposed sharpened edges, 16b, 16c, which diverge as theyextend toward handle 12 from point 16a. As is best seen in FIG. 3, blade16 is curved when viewed from an edge along a line paralleling handle12, with face profile 16d of the blade being concave.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, an elongated arm 22 is pivotallyconnected intermediate its ends at 24 to handle 12. Arm 22 is curved,whereby both of its ends are positioned to the same side of handle 12.

Secured to one end (the operating end) of arm 22, adjacent blade 16, isa second blade 26 which is slightly smaller than blade 16. Blade 26 isarcuate also, having a face 26a that substantially conforms to theconcave configuration of face 16d of blade H6. The outer end 26b ofblade 26 is rounded and beveled. Blades 16 and 26 may be placed inface-to-face contact, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, with blade 26 restingwithin the region of concavity of blade 16. With the two blades thusresting in contiguous face-to-face relation, they define an integralcutting element, the opposite faces of which are substantiallycontinuous, with no abrupt edges along either of its opposed faces. Thedepth of cut to be produced dictates the length of blades 16, 26. Forexample, if the device is to be used for tracheotomies, the bladesshould be long enough to cut into the front of the trachea, but not solong that they will puncture the back side of the trachea.

A stirrup element 28 is secured to the opposite end (the manipulatableend) of arm H2 adjacent hand grip 14.

Operation of the device will be explained with regard to FIG. 1. As isshown in FIG. 1, hand grip 14 of the handle is cradled in the fingers ofan operators hand and the thumb of the operator's same hand is cradledin stirrup 28. Handle 12 and arm 22 are swung relative to each otherabout their pivot connection to places blades 16, 26 in contiguousface-to-face relationship, in what is referred to herein as a closedposition. The blades are positioned over the proper portion of apatient's throat 30 through which an incision is to be made, with thepoint of blade 16 against the throat. The operator uses his other handto force the blades through the front portion of the throat to produce acut therethrough. Then by squeezing hand grip 14 and stirrup 28 towardeach other handle 12 and arm 22 are swung relative to each other abouttheir pivot connection to force blades 16, 26 apart. As the blades areforced apart they separate the edges of the cut to form an opening intothe trachea through which a tube may be inserted to provide air for thepatient.

From the above it should be obvious that the device is operable swiftlyto produce a clean cut into the trachea and provide an opening throughwhich a tube may be inserted for providing air to the patient. Sinceblades 16, 26 when in their face-to-face relationship form an integralcutting element having no abrupt edges on either of its faces, the cutproduced is clean and even with minimal tearing of adjacent tissue.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein,it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations andmodifications are possible without departing from the spirit of theinven tion.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A surgical device for producing a cut and spreading the edges of thecut apart comprising an elongate handle and an elongate arm pivotallyinter-connected and having a set of operating ends swingable toward andaway from each other upon movement of the other set of ends thereof inan opposite direction,

a first blade secured to said handle at the operating end thereof,projecting outwardly at a substantial angle therefrom and having asharpened end spaced outwardly from the handle, and

a second blade connected to said arm at the operating end thereof andprojecting outwardly at a substantial angle therefrom in the samedirection as said first blade, said second blade being constructed torest in face-to-face relationship with said first blade with saidoperating ends swung toward each other and having a face profile lyingwithin the face profile of said first blade when resting in face-to-facerelationship with said first blade, said first blade and second bladebeing so positioned on the handle and arm respectively that they aremoved laterally away from each other on swinging of the operating endsaway from each other.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said first blade has a concave facedirected toward the second blade, and said second blade has matchingconvexity and fits within said concave face.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said first blade extends laterally ofsaid handle with its sharpened end projecting laterally of said handle,said blade has a concave contour when viewed along a line substantiallyparalleling the longitudinal axis of the handle, and said second bladeis constructed to fit within the region of said concavity.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said second blade is shorter than saidfirst blade and has a rounded end spaced outwardly from the arm.

5. A surgical device for producing a cut and spreading the edges of thecut apart comprising an elongate handle,

an elongate arm,

means pivotally interconnecting the handle and arm at a regionintermediate the ends of each,

said handle and arm having a set of operating ends swingable toward andaway from each other and a set of manipulatable ends opposite saidoperating ends, the manipulatable end and operating end of said armprojecting outwardly of the same side of said handle, whereby swingingof the said manipulatable ends together swings said operating endsapart,

a first blade secured to said handle at the operating end thereof andprojecting at a substantial angle outwardly therefrom and having asharpened end spaced outwardly from the handle, and

a second blade connected to said arm at the operating end thereof andprojecting outwardly at a substantiai angle therefrom in the samedirection as said first blade, said second blade being shorter than saidfirst blade and constructed to rest in faceto-face relationship withsaid first blade with said operating ends swung toward each other.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said handle includes a portion at itsmanipulatable end which may be cradled in the fingers of an operatorshand, and a stirrup is secured to the manipulatable end of the arm forcradling an operators thumb.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein said operating ends may be swungtoward each other to place the first and second blades in face-to-facerelationship, said first blade has a concave face directed toward thesecond blade, and said second blade has a matching convexity and fitswithin said concave face when the blades are in face-to-face relation toform an integral cutting member opposite face surfaces of which aresubstantially continuous.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein said first blade further comprisesopposed sharpened edges extending from said sharpened end toward saidhandle, which edges diverge on progressing from the sharpened end towardthe handle.

1. A surgical device for producing a cut and spreading the edges of thecut apart comprising an elongate handle and an elongate arm pivotallyinter-connected and having a set of operating ends swingable toward andaway from each other upon movement of the other set of ends thereof inan opposite direction, a first blade secured to said handle at theoperating end thereof, projecting outwardly at a substantial angletherefrom and having a sharpened end spaced outwardly from the handle,and a second blade connected to said arm at the operating end thereofand projecting outwardly at a substantial angle therefrom in the samedirection as said first blade, said second blade being constructed torest in face-to-face relationship with said first blade with saidoperating ends swung toward each other and having a face profile lyingwithin the face profile of said first blade when resting in face-tofacerelationship with said first blade, said first blade and second bladebeing so positioned on the handle and arm respectively that they aremoved laterally away from each other on swinging of the operating endsaway from each other.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said first bladehas a concave face directed toward the second blade, and said secondblade has matching convexity and fits within said concave face.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein said first blade extends laterally of saidhandle with its sharpened end projecting laterally of said handle, saidblade has a concave contour when viewed along a line substantiallyparalleling the longitudinal axis of the handle, and said second bladeis constructed to fit within the region of said concavity.
 4. The deviceof claim 1, wherein said second blade is shorter than said first bladeand has a rounded end spaced outwardly from the arm.
 5. A surgicaldevice for producing a cut and spreading the edges of the cut apartcomprising an elongate handle, an elongate arm, means pivotallyinterconnecting the handle and arm at a region intermediate the ends ofeach, said handle and arm having a set of operating ends swingabletoward and away from each other and a set of manipulatable ends oppositesaid operating ends, the manipulatable end and operating end of said armprojecting outwardly of the same side of said handle, whereby swingingof the said manipulatable ends together swings said operating endsapart, a first blade secured to said handle at the operating end thereofand projecting at a substantial angle outwardly therefrom and having asharpened end spaced outwardly from the handle, and a second bladeconnected to said arm at the operating end thereof and projectingoutwardly at a substantial angle therefrom in the same direction as saidfirst blade, said second blade being shorter than said first blade andconstructed to rest in face-to-face relationship with said first bladewith said operating ends swung toward each other.
 6. The device of claim5, wherein said handle includes a portion at its manipulatable end whichmay be cradled in the fingers of an operator''s hand, and a stirrup issecured to the manipulatable end of the arm for cradling an operator''sthumb.
 7. The device of claim 5, wherein said operating ends may beswung toward each other to place the first and second blades inface-to-face relationship, said first blade has a concave face directedtoward the second blade, and said second blade has a matching convexityand fits within said concave face when the blades are in face-to-facerelation to form an integral cutting member opposite face surfaces ofwhich are substantially continuous.
 8. The device of claim 5, whereinsaid first blade further comprises opposed sharpened edges extendingfrom said sharpened end toward said handle, which edges diverge onprogressing from the sharpened eNd toward the handle.